Week 11 NFL Moneyline Underdogs
Mike Randle
(FTN Fantasy is reacting to all the big fantasy news of the offseason! Follow along in our transaction tracker.)
Russell Wilson reportedly plans to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, with a team-friendly, one-year contract.
Wilson’s two-year career with the Broncos was disappointing, with only 42 total touchdowns and 19 interceptions in 30 games played. Denver followed a 5-12 season with just an 8-9 record last year, which culminated in Wilson getting benched for the final two games of the season.
Wilson will now compete with Kenny Pickett for the starting job in 2024, and Wilson will be the prohibitive favorite to win the gig. He joins the Steelers after being released just one week earlier by the Broncos, two years after Denver acquired Wilson and signed him to a $245 million extension.
Russell Wilson Signs with Pittsburgh, Fantasy Impact
Wilson finished as the QB14 in fantasy in 2023, a slight improvement from his overall QB16 finish in 2022. He joins a Steelers offense with quality receivers in Diontae Johnson, George Pickens and tight end Pat Freiermuth. Pittsburgh’s offense struggled last year, ranking just 20th in pass DVOA. The Steelers fired offensive coordinator Matt Canada during the season, and brought in former Atlanta Falcons head coach, Arthur Smith, to help improve an offense that ranked just 28th in points per game (17.8)
Pickett struggled mightily in his second season after a promising preseason. He threw just six touchdowns and four interceptions in 12 games with a modest 6.4 yards per attempt.
It was widely rumored that the Steelers had interest in trading for Bears quarterback Justin Fields, but Pittsburgh pivoted to the 35-year-old veteran after a meeting this past week. With Baker Mayfield re-signing in Tampa Bay, this leaves Fields and Kirk Cousins as the primary quarterback free agents on the market for the 2024 season.
